Unison Width - was stability issue

[Farrell]

"Are the hammers hard? If so softening them will give a "wider" acceptable
unison."

Hmmmm. I was going to make a post about that - so here goes: I have noticed
when tuning unisons on some pianos (most often pianos in decent shape and
finer grands, etc.) you have alot of play around the "in tune" point. It
seems like you can make in "in tune"/dead still, "in tune"/with a bit of
life, "in tune"/but kinda sounding like sparkling, etc. I can move the pin a
bit this way and a bit that way and it will sound a bit different, but still
sound "in tune". Kimball consoles, et. al., often have this razor sharp
divide between sounding acceptable and having the unison scream at you. Just
hard hammers?

What gives? Anyone got some expertise here?

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Don" <drose@dlcwest.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2000 3:50 PM
Subject: Re: ..stability issue..


> Hi Rook,
>
> I would suggest that ladies look better in skirts. Fabricate a nearly
floor
> length "curtain" out of a vapour proof material so that the humidity
> control systems are working on the pianos and not the environment. I also
> suggest using *one* humidistat for both systems and running cords between
> them. I have had situations where using 2 humidistats caused the DC units
> to "fight" one another.
>
> Are the hammers hard? If so softening them will give a "wider" acceptable
> unison.
>
> At 08:51 AM 11/20/2000 -0500, you wrote:
> >Good Morning.
> >
> >There are 2 Baldwin "R"'s in a restaurant that I have been trying to
> >maintain as a customer..frankly, I am getting frustrated with the
complaints
> >that they won't stay in tune.
> >
> >I have:
> >
> >seated all strings.
> >beat the heck out of all strings while tuning.
> >added DC to both.
> >tried to educate the player..some people just don't want to listen or
hear
> >what's being said..he is not a 'hard' player.
> >
> >..still the same complaints..one piano is being played 6 nights a week
while
> >the other is used sparingly..it is the complaint that Piano#1 goes out of
> >tune within a week of me being there and Piano#2 lasts 2 weeks..now
please
> >understand that 'out of tune' means, to this person, that some unisons
are
> >starting to drift.
> >
> >Both pianos are scheduled to be tuned every 2 months.
> >
> >The restaurant's climate is not ideal, and that is why I suggested the DC
> >for both..but it doesn't seem to be adding any stability to my work.
> >
> >I have questioned my own 'technique'..but only with this customer, which
> >makes me think that it's not my technique preventing these pianos from
> >staying in tune since I don't have this complaint with any other
customers
> >that tune as frequently as this one does.
> >
> >Does anyone have a suggestion for improved stability, based on what's
been
> >said here?
> >
> >At wits end,
> >Rook
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> Regards,
> Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.M.T., R.P.T.
>
> Tuner for the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts
>
> drose@dlcwest.com
> http://donrose.xoasis.com/
>
> 3004 Grant Rd.
> REGINA, SK
> S4S 5G7
> 306-352-3620 or 1-888-29t-uner
>